Researchers from the Laboratory of Digital Experience (LED), affiliated with the Department of Architecture, Urbanism, and Design at the Federal University of Ceará, have obtained approval for two proposals submitted to the Sustainable Urban Development (DUS) project, promoted through cooperation between the Brazilian and German governments. During the selection process, 170 submissions were evaluated from municipalities in 23 Brazilian states, including 17 capitals, and at the end of the selection process, 12 winning proposals were chosen.
LED researchers had two projects approved by the Ministry of Cities to be implemented in Belém (photo) and Fortaleza (Image: LED/UFC)
The funding for these research projects comes from an agreement between the Ministry of Cities of Brazil and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German agency for international technical cooperation. The selected projects were judged based on territorial diversity, themes, biomes, macro-regions, and with priority given to municipalities managed by women.
In the two approved projects, LED researchers have been studying information modeling applied to the landscape and nature-based solutions (NBS) to analyze urban water management in the context of climate change and flooding in cities. The research group brings together professors, undergraduate students in scientific initiation, and master's students from the Graduate Program in Architecture, Urbanism, and Design (PPGAU+D/UFC).
Diagram of rainfall hydrological behavior in the territory of Grande Bom Jardim Indicator diagram of rainfall hydrological behavior in the territory of Belém do Pará (Image: LED/UFC)
Tainah Carvalho, a master's student who graduated in Architecture and Urbanism from UFC, is a scholarship holder of the LEDRX project and has been involved in the process since the preliminary study phase of the selected proposals. She and the other researchers have been considering the application of nature-based alternative solutions to complement the traditional water drainage system, such as rain gardens, bio-swales, and flower beds.
"We use information technology to visualize the hydrological behavior of rainfall in the city and how it affects the drainage system. Based on these analyses, we can create guidelines to respond in the best way in the case of extreme events, such as floods, which have been quite frequent in recent years," says Tainah.
LED is part of the project "Green and Blue Paths - Experimental Microurbanism Uniting People, Nature, and Technology for a More Just, Integrated, Inclusive, and Sustainable City," which will be developed for the scenario of improving the quality of water resources and socioeconomic vulnerability in the territory of Grande Bom Jardim, on the outskirts of the capital city of Ceará. Partners of the initiative include UFC, the Municipal Government of Fortaleza, the Planning Institute of Fortaleza (IPLANFOR), the Municipal Infrastructure Secretariat (SEINF), and the Regional Executive Secretariat V.
In the approved project in Fortaleza, partners of LED include the Municipal Government of the capital city of Ceará, IPLANFOR, SEINF, and Regional Secretariat V (Photo: Disclosure)
In Belém, the second project approved by the laboratory is the Urban Redevelopment and Macro-Drainage of the Paracuri Watershed and the Macro-Drainage Program of the Mata-Fome Watershed in Belém do Pará (PROMMAF), to be developed in partnership by UFC, the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), and the Municipal Government of Belém. In the capital of Pará, the selected proposal examines possible adjustments to the urbanization plan to mitigate floods, preserve rainwater, and find appropriate solutions for the landscape of an Amazonian city.
According to Professor Newton Becker from the Department of Architecture, Urbanism, and Design at UFC, the approval of the proposals in the Ministry of Cities' call for submissions reflects the recognition of society for the research conducted in public universities. The researcher emphasizes the importance of collaboration between LED members and scholars from other fields such as Civil Engineering, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, and Phytotechnics.
"Both proposals can pave the way for new directions in landscape projects in this century, which must respond to the challenges of the climate and environmental crisis, most evident in cities, especially where social vulnerability is more severe," explained the professor.
Translated from: https://www.ufc.br/noticias/17825-pesquisadores-de-arquitetura-da-ufc-aprovam-dois-projetos-de-urbanismo-sustentavel-em-acordo-internacional
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